Asociacion Hondurena de Apoyo al Autismo

Dr. Castellanos, a past president of the El Progreso (Honduras) Rotary club, was in the U.S. attending a medical conference in Miami and took a few days out of his busy schedule to address members of the Rappahannock club on a new initiative targeting support for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Roberto (pictured on the far left together with Aric Wagner (Fredericksburg RC), District 7610 Governor "JB" Brown, and "First Dude" Felton Page) has been a practicing pediatrician for over 20 years in his home town of El Progreso. The self-ascribed 'son' of Jim and Vicki Lewis, he is a graduate of the University of Honduras and the medical school in Teguscigalpa, Honduras.

His relationship with our club began almost ten years ago when he served as an unofficial interpreter for members of the Rappahannock club during their initial visit to El Progreso. Over the years, the personal and professional bond between Rappahannock Rotary and the El Progreso community has grown and prospered. Together with members from the Fredericksburg, Stafford, and El Progreso clubs, we have provided both funds and volunteer labor to rebuild homes, donate computers for a virtual library, provided filters for safe water supplies, and conducted an eye clinic. Please visit our "Helping the World" page to learn more about the history of our relationship with the El Progreso community.

Before launching into his presentation, Dr. Castellanos read a personal message of thanks and invitation from El Progreso mayor Alexander Lopez.

If you would like to learn more about APO-AUTIS, please contact Dr. Castellanos by email.